Remember ZORK? Take a look at this typewriter which has been automated by hooking up tons of electro-mechanical goodness to an old typewriter!

Thanks for the tip Jack.

“Each key is attached by fishing line to a solenoid, an electromechanical device that pulls down when electric current is passed through it. The solenoids sit behind and underneath the typewriter in a multi-layer structure. The solenoids are connected to a MOSFET, which allows the lower-power parts of the circuit to control the high-power solenoids.”

IBM made data-driven typewriters in the 1970s – used mag cards for storage as I recall. Also, at one point, there was a company trying to sell a solenoid interface for electric typewriters – a bank of actuators that lay above the keyboard and pushed the keys. I don’t know if they ever sold one.

This particular model is Electronic, the typebar arms attached to the keys are covered making it look like a computer keyboard. Also there is no carriage return lever. Smith Corona earliest model of electric typewriter did have a manual carriage return lever later ones like this did not.